4-Hour Body An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman Paperback – 2011

Helped me not be so fat

Love this book, gift it often.
I've lost significant weight on its protocol (went from 28%MBI to 16% in 10weeks)
It's improved my sex life - cannot speak more highly of kettlebell swings for this and below
Mass gains were meh but still good for the total gym time
sleep manipulation didn't work for me but know it has for others
helped a ton with injury recovery

At 425 pounds, I realized I had to do something drastic. A good friend of mine knew someone on the "slow-carb" diet that is outlined in this book, and he had lost 100 pounds in a year. I bought the book, thought about it a lot, wondered if I could do this long-term...and decided I could. Here I am, less than 1.5 years later, and I've lost almost 150 pounds. There's no special food to buy, no mandatory supplements, no added costs other than the book. There are tons of online resources to augment what's outlined in the chapters. I can't even begin to tell you how much this has changed and continues to change my life. I'm so greatful to Tim Ferriss and Amazon for providing this book.

UPDATE: After 2.5 years, I lost 250 pounds. While no plan/lifestyle change is right for everyone, this worked very well for me.

Good book, lost a lot of weight quickly. I lost 4-5 lbs a week easy, had a ton more energy then ever before. Unfortunately I returned to my evil ways and gained it all back over a few months but I know that when I go back on this diet I will lose it quickly again.

It's not about being (or not being) superhuman. It's about proving, knowing, that you can make changes. A simple small thing like two pounds can become a hundred, and then you know that big things are possible in every facet of life.

Absolutely enjoyable read. Very inspiring with lots of potential action items. Love the Minimal Effective Dose theme. Am testing the slow carb diet, kettle bells, and ab workout among other things. Highly recommend.

I am overweight. No I am fat. To lose weight I have had a gastric by-pass and tried many different routines. The 4 hour body is not a miracle cure, it is not a panacea. It is highly motivating and I find that following a few of its principles during my forget it I am going to eat like a horse periods I can reduce the damage I do to my weight loss.

I think there are a couple of key elements that will make this book better:

1) Never forget the 20/80 rule. For those of us who are not trying to get under 2% body fat but are trying to get down to a manageable weight and who have the will power of a famished dog looking a bowl of bacon it is our key to success. When I fall off the health nut wagon I can still eat a high protein breakfast, avoid carbs especially in the mornings, and still maintain a stable weight. Little or no change during bad boy times is a good change for those of us who have played with diets a lot.

2) The day off is a blessing but for those in my category it is often stretched too easily so I refer you to number 1. If you follow the 20% rules even on cheat days or weeks [just being honest here] then you minimize the overall damage.

3) The little tricks that yield big results are my starting and focal points in the book. I read the entire book but many chapters don't currently pertain to my situation and probably never will. Many of them however are perfect for people like me. Get 80% of the benefit with 20% of the max effort and then, as you feel healthier add to it.

Since I have been working with this diet when I am faithful my weight loss and body change is pretty impressive averaging 4-6 lbs per week and a nice reduction in waist and butt inches with a slight increase in arm and thigh inches. During 3 months of non-adherence aside from protein breakfasts I gained back only 5 of the 25 lbs I had lost (1 month on and 3 months off and still down 20lbs). This also coincided with a return to a fairly sedentary lifestyle.

Every few months I get my mojo back and want to start losing weight again (I love cold weather it actually motivates me) and when that happens I can easily kick in more aspects of the four hour body to take advantage and lose a little more.

So don't be discouraged by his discussion of getting the last couple of % off. If you really analyze the 20/80 rules and apply his book accordingly it is a tome of encouragement to us less than motivated, short cut seeking, beautiful on the inside people too.

Read the book, don't put yourself in a category you don't fit. If you are overweight like me focus on the weight loss and body sculpting and just read the other parts to laugh at what a nut case the author is. There is so much encouragement to get the most from the least and that is the gold mined from this book. The rest may be very useful and good advice but for most of us the focus on the core message is what is truly revolutionary from what we have been taught. More is not better, most return on investment is.

One last comment. The kettlebell swing is a killer. He says 10-15 minutes twice a week, I applied the 20% rule my first time and got in about 3 minutes and two days on disability as my muscles recovered. I am looking forward to building up to a better workout but don't let the light weight fool you when you first start.

Theres something for everyone in this book! Every few months i find myself coming back to it in order to find out whats next for me. Lots of value to be had with this one. Slow Carb dieting alone has had a tremendous impact on my appearance and how i feel, both in terms of energy levels and self esteem. The ab exercises worked better than i expected. First time in my life that i have had 6 pack abs. Its Brie time Baby!